At a Standstill
by Lets Question Life
Summary: An overview of Teddy Lupin's relationship with Victoire; the love they shared, the laughter they evoked, the child they had together.   TeddyxVictoire


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, neither am I claiming to own Harry Potter. All rights go to JK Rowling!**  
><strong>For the sake of this story, Victoire will be the same age as Teddy. Sorry in advance, to all you Harry Potter canon sticklers out there. Ten points to whoever can guess what song I was listening to when I writing this!<strong>

Out of all the words in the world he could've used to describe himself, Teddy Lupin would always pick the one word that seemed to frighten him the most, broken.

"I don't think I'll ever understand why you left me, dad." An eleven year old Teddy Lupin murmured to himself, looking down at picture of his father and mother, carrying a beaming little boy. Rubbing his slender fingers across the glossy surface of the photo, he smiled as his mother looked up at him and laughed. "I can almost hear your voice, mum. But I know that it's just me being a stupid, bloody git again." Teddy said, frowning and quickly stuffing the picture into his robes as he heard the compartment door slide open.

"Salut, je m'appelle Victoire. Salut? May I sit here? Hello, excusez-moi? What 'er you thinking about?" A young girl with shimmering blonde hair and piercing blue eyes asked, waving her hand at the boy, trying to get his attention. Smiling at the boy sitting on the far side of the compartment, she started moving towards him even before he could respond, hair cascading down her back like a golden waterfall.

Not bothering to turn to the girl before answering, Teddy casually placed his head on his chin and said, "Nothing, nothing at all." Realizing that the girl was still standing at the doorway of the compartment, he turned around, suddenly caught off guard by her beauty. "Er, I-, yo-, sure..." Teddy spluttered as he took in the full extent of the girl's beauty. _She __can__'__t __be __real,_ he thought, smelling a faint hint of lavender. _Real __girls __are __definitely...they __just __aren__'__t...she__'__s...Oh __Merlin __she__'__s __got __me __stuttering __in __my __mind. _Quickly turning back to the window to check if his appearance had changed, he furrowed his eyebrows as he saw a faint reflection of himself bubblegum pink hair, staring him back in the face.

"Sacre bleu! 'Vat 'as 'appened to your hair?" She cried, jumping backwards in surprise. _Breathe, __Victoire...Breathe.__You __did __not __do __anything __to __the __boy, __it __couldn__'__t __possibly __have __been __your __fault, _She thought to herself, trying to slow down her dangerously fast heart beat. "I'm so sorry. I 'ave never seen a...a...Metamorfmague before. 'Zat is absolutely amazing!" She exclaimed, curtsying to the boy and cautiously inching to the seat next to them.

Sheepishly scratching the back of his head, Teddy attempted to shift over on the bench to allow Victoire some more room. "My mum was a Metamorphmagus, I guess I got it from her," He had responded, as quietly as possible. Slipping his hand into the fabric of his robes, he quickly found the piece of paper he'd been looking for, hoping to Gods that his parents were looking over him, sensing how happy he felt at that moment.

**And ****that, ****is ****how ****their ****relationship ****had ****began. ****Seemingly ****built ****upon ****layers ****and ****layers ****of ****surprises, ****each ****one ****more ****shocking ****than ****the ****previous. ****To ****Victoire, ****nothing ****could ****have ****compared ****to ****the ****moment ****when ****Teddy ****had ****accidentally ****transformed ****his ****hair ****colour ****on ****their ****first ****meeting. ****However, ****to ****Teddy, ****he ****would ****never ****be ****able ****to ****fully ****grasp ****the ****details ****of ****the ****conversation ****they****'****d ****had ****after ****that ****embarrassing ****moment.**

"You're a WHAT?" Teddy cried, accidentally choking on the Licorice Wand he was in the process of eating.

"I am...part Veela," Victoire said nervously, twiddling her thumbs and feeling the incessant need to bite on her nails; an incredibly bad habit that had plagued her attractiveness since she was six. "I'm only a quarter Veela, so...I mean...it doesn't really matter!" She cried out, reaching her hand out to rub Teddy on the back.

"No, I don't...don't take it the wrong way, but I mean...no wonder you're so beauti-" Quickly slapping a hand over his mouth, he felt a warmth starting at the tip of his ears. _No, __no, __this __is __not __the __time __to __be __blushing! _Teddy thought, mentally reprimanding himself. "I meant, no wonder. Just, no wonder." He finished lamely, reaching for a drink of eggnog from his mug.

Carefully examining his flushing face, Victoire started to giggle, ending up in great heaving guffaws. "I-, I'm so sorry, but 'zat eez 'ze funniest thing I 'ave ever heard!" She cried, reaching into her robes for a handkerchief. Quickly dabbing away the impending tears, she leaned over to Teddy and quickly planted an innocent kiss on his cheek. "I 'ad thought 'zat I would 'ave no friends at Hogwarts. Thank you, Teddy Lupin." She whispered, knowing that this was the start of a beautiful friendship, if not something more.

**Victoire ****could ****remember ****everything ****about ****their ****relationship. ****The ****tomato-red ****flush ****that ****Teddy ****held ****when ****he ****had ****first ****asked ****her ****out; ****reaching ****for ****her ****hand ****as ****they ****stood ****in ****the ****freezing ****cold ****of ****Hogsmeade ****village. ****The ****tentative, ****rushed, ****and ****sloppy ****first ****kiss ****they ****had ****shared ****in ****the ****doorway ****of ****Hogsmeade ****on ****their ****first ****trip ****together. ****The ****attempts ****from ****Teddy ****at ****being ****a ****gentleman, ****offering ****her ****his ****coat ****even ****though ****she ****could ****tell ****he ****was ****turning ****nearly ****blue ****from ****the ****chilling ****wind.**

Frowning as Teddy's face and hair turned a pale blue colour, she quickly handed back his jacket. "Teddy! I don't need it, I brought my own jacket!" She had cried in exasperation and worry for the young Metamorphmagus, shoving the jacket back into his arms.

"N-n-no, Victoire, y-y-you t-t-ake it,' Teddy chattered, unable to feel his lips after only a few minutes out in the cold.

"Ted Remus Lupin, if you do not take your jacket back right now I won't...I...I'll stop meeting you after hours to snog!" Victoire shrieked at the helpless boy, draping his jacket over his shivering body.

Staring at Victoire with a look of pure horror, Teddy quickly slipped his jacket back on and savored the little bit of warmth it had. "D'you reckon we should go somewhere a little warmer? Perhaps to The Three Broomsticks?" Teddy suggested, tentatively grabbing Victoire's hand and waiting for a response.

Wrapping her fingers around Teddy's, she grinned and quickly pecked him on the lips, turning back before he realized what had happened. "I think 'zat is the best suggestion you've had all day, Mister Lupin," She murmured, leading her confused boyfriend to a quaint little shack with steam rising out of the chimney.

**That ****had ****been ****the ****day ****Teddy ****Lupin ****knew ****for ****sure, ****that ****he ****had ****fallen ****head ****over ****heels ****in ****love ****with ****the ****part ****Veela ****witch. ****From ****that ****day ****on, ****he ****had ****vowed ****to ****her, ****and ****himself, ****that ****he ****would ****never ****risk ****his ****life ****in ****order ****to ****act ****macho. ****But ****there ****was ****something ****that ****he ****was ****sure ****he ****could ****never ****tell ****her, ****something ****that ****would certainly make ****her ****scorn ****him. The exact thing that he had feared came true one night as she caught him sitting alone in the Gryffindor Common Room after hours, tears silently rolling down his face.**

Yawning and rubbing her eyes, Victoire had walked down the stairs of the Girls' Dormitory, feeling a sudden urge to sit in front of the crackling fire. Spotting a mop of rusty orange hair over the back of the maroon arm chair, she gingerly creeped over to the chair, prayingthat it was her boyfriend.

"Babe! What are you doing down here in the middle of the night," Victoire murmured into his neck as she wrapped her hands around the boy's chest, welcoming back the familiar feeling of belonging and love. Suddenly falling off the arm of the couch as Teddy abruptly stood up, she looked up to him in confusion. "Teddy? I...what's wrong?" She asked, grabbing onto his hand before he could walk away. _Why__is__he__crying?__Did__something__happen?__What..._Victoire silently mused, getting back up and sliding her fingers into Teddy's hand.

Turning away from his girlfriend, he quickly wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his Gryffindor sweatshirt. "You wouldn't understand, Victoire. Both of **your** parents are still here," He spat out, ripping his arm away from her grip and walking towards the opening of the Common Room. "Do **you** know the feeling of not being able to go home during the holidays? Have **you **ever felt as though you were a second choice to your pa-, guardian?" He hated doing this to her, keeping up a constant wall around him and not letting her break through. He knew he truly loved her, deep down inside, but whenever she would go home to her parents during Christmas and Easter breaks, that's when he truly felt most alone, most bitter.

She looked at his retreating figure with tears forming in her eyes. She had always known, all along, that there was something he wasn't telling her, a hidden aggression and anger pent up inside him that would burst at the most inopportune times. She had always known that he regretted the loss of his parents, not fully understanding the bravery they had shown in the face of danger. Wiping away her tears on her slender fingers, she climbed out of the hole after Teddy, wanting to be there to comfort him.

"Teddy, wait. I know I can't bring your parents back for you, but..." Victoire started, running as fast as she could to catch up to him. "But...I promise you, I love you just as much as they would have, if they were here," She said, reaching her arms around and wrapping them around his waist, tears soaking the back of his sweater. "I love you, Teddy. Don't shut me out of your life, please. Please don't shut me out," Victoire had repeated, over and over until Teddy's sobs had faded.

**It was at that exact moment, that Victoire knew she would never find anyone she loved as much as him. No matter how hard she tried, and she would never try; she was certain they were going to last forever. She knew he would always be her true love. It was at that exact moment that had convinced her that she was willing to give everything up, her riches, her family, her body, for him. No, for them both.**

Pointing to the black lake that surrounded their school, Teddy grinned and pulled Victoire closer to him. "You see that lake right there? It looks pretty normal right? But I swear, I once caught a glimpse of a giant octopus in there! There I was, my rippling six-pack glistening in the sun, about to dive in for a- Oomph!" Teddy cried out, as Victoire promptly hit him lightly across the back of his head.

"Teddy, vanity is a sin!" Victoire exclaimed, smiling up at Teddy.

"Okay, fine. I was still looking pretty fine without my top on though. Anyways, right as I was about to dive in, a giant tentacle rises out of the water like- Mmph, Victoire, what?" Teddy wailed as Victoire put a hand against her boyfriend's lips to shut him up.

Slowly bringing her hand away, she leaned up and kissed him softly, wanting the moment to last forever. Smiling softly into the kiss, she slipped her hand through Teddy's rusty red locks, giggling as he grinned at her in return.

Reluctantly pulling away for air, Teddy leaned his forehead against Victoire's, pushing back a stray strand of blonde hair from her face. About to press his lips to hers again, he was stopped once more by Victoire. "He-" He managed to mutter, before getting cut off by Victoire.

"Teddy, I think I'm ready." She whispered, gazing up into his chocolate brown eyes. "I'm ready, for us..." She repeated, murmuring.

"I...are you sure, Victoire? I'm okay with waiting...I mean, not that I don't want to of course, I definitely want to. I just, are...are you sure, Victoire?" Teddy asked, eyes widening in surprise and anticipation. Smiling as she nodded ever so slightly, Teddy lead her into the forest, staring at her as if she were the most exceptional thing in the world.

**And so they had lain together in the woods, feeling as though life couldn't be complete without the other. Though he had waited for many years, scowling as his bunk mates scorned him for not acting like the hormonal teenage boy he was expected to be; he was thankful that he'd waited. He remembered a certain day about two months later, being the most significant day in his life. Victoire had decided to confess something of utmost importance to him.**

"Teddy...I have to talk to you," Victoire requested, looking paler than usual. Walking over to her boyfriend, she had bent down to his ear, seeing as he was comfortably nestled on the Gryffindor arm chair. "I...You have to promise me, you won't break up with me..." She urged, pulling his hand into hers.

"What? What happened...Why would I break up with you? Yo-, You didn't cheat on me, did you?" Teddy half whispered, unable to keep his volume fully down out of panic.

"No, no! I...I just..." Unable to hold back tears as they slipped down the plane of her face, she buried her head into Teddy's chest, body wreaked with huge sobs.

"Oh no, what's wrong Victoire?" He asked nervously, attempting to reassure her by running a hand down her back. "It's okay, I promise...I promise I won't break up with you."

"I...I'm pregnant, I'm having yo- our baby, Teddy." She whispered, feeling as though her world were about to come crashing down on top of her.

Staring down at her in disbelief, he stuttered for a few minutes, unable to form coherent sentences. _Okay __Teddy, __breathe __in, __breathe __out, __breathe __in, __breathe __out. _He told himself, finally relaxing enough to respond to the increasingly paranoid girl sitting on top of him. "I love you, and I always will love you, and I love our baby." He said, debating whether to place his hand on her stomach or not.

**And that's how Victoire knew that everything was going to be alright. That nothing in their relationship would ever change, even if she was having their child. She knew that it would be a beautiful child, surrounded by love and laughter it's entire life. But even if their relationship would never change, she still felt constantly afraid and anxious. She knew her child would be beautiful, but there was always a dark, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.**

Gasping for breath, Victoire suddenly tore up from her bed and ran towards Teddy's study. Moving into a new home with their own money had been extremely tough for the both of them, but they had somehow managed it. "Teddy! Teddy! I think something's wrong with the baby!" She shrieked, tearing into Teddy's room and causing him to stumble off of his chair.

"What? What could possibly be wrong?" He hollered, immediately leading her out of the room and grabbing her hand, intending to apparate to St. Mungo's Hospital. Running up to the front desk, he immediately grabbed the shoulders of the secretary on duty and shouted, "My fiancé, she's...she's pregnant, and she's bleeding!"

Those next few hours listening to Victoire's excruciating screams were the worst hours of his life. _Why __won__'__t __they __let __me __in?_ He thought, tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair in an erratic fashion. _They __usually __let __the __father __of __the __child __go __in...right? __Why __won__'__t __they __let __me __in? _Leaping up from his chair, he began to pace around the hospital floor, disturbing quite a few patients from a good night's rest.

Watching as the Healer came out of the room, gloves bloodied and face solemn, Teddy had already begun to imagine the worst thing possible. "No, I...This can't happen, you have to save her! You can't...I can't do this!" He shrieked, grabbing the doctor and shaking him out of anger.

"Mister Lupin, I regret to inform you that we have lost Victoire. We had to choose whether to save the baby, or to save her..." The doctor said, trailing off at the end so he wouldn't have to state the obvious.

Tears streaming down his face, Teddy let go of the doctor, wanting to rip out his heart right then and there. "Can I...can I see her?" He asked, not bothering to wipe at his eyes.

Quietly walking into the room, he saw the lifeless body that used to belong to his girlfriend, fiancé, soon to be wife. "Victoire, wake up. You did a great job, babe. Don't you want to see our child?" He asked, desperately clutching on to her hand until his knuckles turned white. "Victoire! Our child is waiting! She's crying...He needs his mother, Victoire...She needs her mother," Teddy wailed, his voice drowning out the cries of his newborn baby girl

**She was right, their relationship would never be changed. From that moment forth, it stood at a stand-still, not moving forward, not moving back. He couldn't forget about her, he wouldn't forget about her, he would always remember. Nothing he tried would ever numb the pain of the gaping wound in his heart, the wound left there that day as he kneeled beside her bed, crying and crying until the tears wouldn't come out anymore.**

"Daddy, what'chu thinking about?" His daughter asked, curiously looking up at him with her piercing blue eyes. Grinning as she ran a soft, slender hand through her shimmering blonde hair, she climbed up onto the chair opposite of Teddy and grinned.

"Nothing, Victoire. Nothing at all."


End file.
